Home Mission pics

Friday, 11 February 2011

Ministers: the repair and prepare service

Steve Gaukroger takes WEBA Ministers through Ephesians

This year's WEBA Ministers Conference at Sidholme in Sidmouth featured two speakers who addressed the theme of equipping God's people for mission. Steve Gaukroger, formerly Pastor of Gold Hill Baptist Church and now Director of the Clarion Trust, took us through part of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, starting with the call to equip God's people for works of service, a word which could equally be translated repair or prepare.

Tracy Cotterell

Tracy Cotterell of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity continued this theme with some practical examples, and encouraged Ministers to consider their 'pastoral contract' with their congregations - is it primarily therapeutic or equipping? I think this is a good question for all of us in any kind of ministry. Tracy pointed out that along with any other reasons people might give for leaving a church, they often feel that 'no-one cares' - the pastoral care contract hasn't worked. Can this lead to a tendency to 'convert and retain' rather than 'grow and release'?

Tracy pointed to research LICC had carried out at Spring Harvest, which demonstrated a great yearning among church people to "become fully the people we were meant to be in Christ." She imagined a 'pastoral contract' to build confidence and equip for mission, one that asks questions such as "What do you need so that you don't miss this opportunity to grow?"

No comments:

Post a Comment

What's this blog for?

In the movement of God's people we call WEBA, there is always more going on than we could imagine.This blog is a space where the story of mission can be told in any way that's convenient. This will also be the place where we let you know what's happening to the money you've given to the Baptist family purse, Home Mission, and how the appeal is doing this year.If you'd like to share one of the ways your church is reaching out - however big or small - please tell me about it at ruth.whiter@webassoc.org.uk

Home Mission

Home Mission is the Baptist Movement's shared purse. Each church is encouraged to give at least 5% of general income to the fund, and churches can apply for grants for mission - either to help with the cost of ministry, or with the costs of a specific project.

We're thrilled by the way so many churches gave generously in 2012. Our 120 churches gave £250,101, an increase of nearly £3,500 on the 2011 total, despite increasingly tough economic circumstances.

In turn, around 20 churches and situations in WEBA benefit from grants to enable their mission.